It is also interesting to see how far the electronics DIY mentality has grown over the last 20 years. Much of the Cyberpunk 'story' was always connected to DIY. Where will it be in 20 more years? DIY DNA hacks?

I loved snow crash, but I really loved how stephenson literally killed cyberpunk at the beginning of the diamond age. I mean he literally killed the cyberpunk character at the beginning of the book. It solidified in my mind that the story was post-cyberpunk.

I've also thought a lot about the Gargoyles in Snow Crash over the past couple of years. Like Gibson's introduction of the term "cyberspace", Stephenson did an amazing job of predicting the gargoyle-effect.